Huge step forward for ambitious £15million Royal Marines Museum plans after project secures Lottery funding

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has cleared the first hurdle in securing £4.4million towards the funding of the ‘Reimagining Boathouse 6’ project which will see the building -former the home of Action Stations - turned into a new museum to take visitors on a compelling journey through four centuries of Royal Marines history.

Final approval of the funding bid means it now only needs to find the last £4.5million for the project after The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) secured funds and pledges of more than £6million.

As previously reported by The News, the new space will be home to a new permanent special exhibition gallery, a Royal Marines Commando-themed Laser Quest Arena, as well as a newly integrated auditorium and conferencing and public programming facility. It will also still house No6 Cinema, with planning permission for the changes to the historic building being sought and Action Station closed in anticipation of the works in February.

The multi-million pound museum will replace the one at Eastney Barracks was closed and sold off by the Ministry of Defence in 2017, although the Yompers Memorial currently remains in its original position at the entrance of of the museum’s former home. A planning application has since been submitted to Portsmouth City Council seeking permission to convert the space into a hotel.

However, the new museum project stalled after a failure to secure the required funding. In the intervening years NMRN safeguarded the two million items from the Royal Marines collection in a specialist £2m state-of-the-art Collections Centre whilst it revisited its plans for a permanent exhibit for the Corp’s story.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “As people across the UK mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, it is evident that the legacy of the Second World War and our armed forces are a key part of our historical narrative.”

The new museum will add to the list of attractions which form part of the historic dockyard’s offerings which includes HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Royal Navy Submarine Museum with HMS Alliance, Explosion!, as well as the Mary Rose Museum which is operated by the Mary Rose Trust.

Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff said in his letter of support for the project: “The Royal Navy places great value on the importance of tradition and preserving our heritage for future generations.

“The Royal Marines story of daring, duty and sacrifice deserves to be recognised and celebrated. The new museum will showcase what makes a Royal Marine, illustrating their prestigious history from their origins in 1664 to the Commando Force of the next generation. It will also be a place for celebration, commemoration, and reflection in the city of Portsmouth, a place steeped in rich naval history.

“I am certain that funds allocated to this project will be utilised most effectively to make a positive and lasting contribution to our local community.”

Matthew Sheldon CEO of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, added: “This generous support from the National Lottery and its players marks a major milestone in the delivery of an innovative approach to sharing the incredible stories of our service community.

It is apt that we make this announcement on VE Day - as we reflect on the contribution of our veteran community 80 years ago. The idea of the ‘Commando’ was born in the dark days of 1940, and has been shaped and re-shaped by the Royal Marines Commandos in the last 80 years.

“Our project will have a particular focus on this recent history and seek to bring the endeavour, courage and conflict inherent in those stories to life through modern interpretative and digital techniques that enable us to speak to diverse and wide-ranging audiences.”

Further information is available on www.nmrn.org.uk.